Joel Hefley: “I rise to express serious reservations about the defense appropriations conference report. I do not dispute the funding…”

“I rise to express serious reservations about the defense appropriations conference report. I do not dispute the funding decisions made by the conferees. In the main, Chairman Young and Mr. Murtha have brought back to the House a bill that addresses the pressing defense needs of the Nation in a manner as consistent with the authorization bill as they possibly could have. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Installations and Facilities, however, I am concerned about several authorization provisions in this bill. Buried in this legislation are six real property matters that should be addressed in the defense authorization process. Section 8132 would authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to convey excess relocatable housing units at Malmstrom Air Force Base. Section 8139 mandates the Secretary of the Air Force to convey certain property in the State of New Hampshire. Section 8140 would permit the Secretary of the Navy to engage in a lease of property to the University of Central Florida. Section 8141 would authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to lease certain property from the City of Phoenix near Luke Air Force Base. Section 8143 would provide the authority to the Secretary of the Navy to convey property with consideration to the City of Seattle and, finally, section 8144 would authorize the Secretary of the Army to convey an Army Reserve Center to the City of Reading, Pennsylvania.”